The writing was on the wall for Beady Eye. Essentially Oasis sans Noel, the band marketed themselves through the love-or-loathe character of Gallagher junior (the gobby one, basically) with boasts of their debut album being “better than Definitely Maybe”. The band’s debut was basically one big Stones pastiche: urgent keys, sliding guitars and snarling vocals. The band delved into the realms of psych-rock ineffectively, with the majority of the tracks coming off as filler songs from a latter day Oasis record. The record was enough to tide them over for 2011, keeping them in the limelight and getting wearers of Pretty Green used to the notion that Oasis was simply a thing of the past.
That all changed with Noel’s eponymous debut album, however. Bridging the gap between Arcade Fire and Coldplay, the record bristled with radio-friendly anthems which cemented the idea that Noel was the talented one. Liam has always shown glimpses of soulful songwriting, but they have been scarce and infrequent. The realisation hit Beady Eye that, on the follow-up to Different Gear Still Speeding, they would have to deliver. Liam himself admitted they “couldn’t do the first album” again, because people have simply stopped listening. In the two years since the release of their debut, Beady Eye have crumbled to fan pressure and started to play Oasis songs at their shows (“I have every right to play those songs”, Liam firmly stated, with a few swear words sprinkled in) and played an underwhelming cover of ‘Wonderwall’ at the Olympic closing ceremony whilst Noel has played live with Damon Albarn, sold out an arena tour and had a number one album.
So, what to do? It’s a tricky proposition. Many would expect Liam Gallagher to stand firm, effing and blinding and slagging everyone off, before releasing another re-package of Sticky Fingers to poor reviews and low sales. Instead, the monobrowed icon has recruited TV On The Radio’s hipster producer Dave Sitek (who admitted he has “never heard” of Oasis, incidentally) to craft their sophomore LP. A brave decision, it was unclear following the release of free download ‘Flick of the Finger’ whether the choice was ingenious.
Boasting explosive horns and the best Liam vocal in years, ‘Flick of the Finger’ impressed musically yet too often delved into nonsensical lyricism (sample: “the future gets written today, the future gets written today”) that either sounds like Liam swallowed a book on rhyming or reverts to familiar and conventional yells of “come on”. The track ends with a spoken-word poem by Kayvan Novak (of Facejacker and Four Lions fame) which shows the changes the band have implemented since Sitek’s arrival. They’re clearly pushing their musical boundaries and should be commended for doing so, but Sitek’s prowess on production is often limited by the material he is given to work with.
The Liam-penned ‘Soul Love’, for instance, shows Chris Sharrock’s talent at the centre of the Beady Eye musical ship with varied and powerful drumming. “It’s all for you, everything I do” Liam croons romantically before more comical lyricism sees him urge listeners to “gather round” because the “circus has come to town”. Oh, Liam. ‘Face The Crowd’ is an unmistakable Andy Bell number: raucous guitars reminiscent of The Rolling Stones (the only one on the record, thankfully) are coupled with a sense of freefall until Sitek’s production manages to make sense of the shambles. ‘Second Bite of the Apple’ is easily an album highlight and brilliant choice for a single, with African-infused drums and scuzzy guitars coupled with an inspired Liam vocal. The song is the first real hint of Sitek’s genius, incorporating all corners of the musical globe to create a sonically enchanting piece of vision which sits head-and-shoulders above anything the band have done yet.
‘Soon Come Tomorrow’ manages to seamlessly blend Dylan and Young to create a soulful, lovelorn tapestry which is made even better by a deeply intense Lennon-esque vocal from the frontman. Sadly, every time you think the band may have turned a corner they revert to limited musical scope and lyricism. ‘Iz Rite’ is a chugging stomp which falls flat due to a grating Liam vocal which urges you to take him “to your place”.
“Laying back on a roundabout building castles in the sky” Gallagher snarls on ‘I’m Just Saying’, which makes the lyrics on ‘Digsy’s Dinner’ and ‘She’s Electric’ read like Yeats. Bell and Gem Archer’s guitars, however, benefit from Sitek’s production as they collaborate effectively to create a sense that Beady Eye aren’t stuck in first gear. ‘Ballroom Figured’, however, is an ill-advised ballad which is placed perfectly between ‘Little James’ and ‘I’m Outta Time’ and is, as a result, probably the most unremarkable piece of music on the record.
Thankfully, there are better moments still to come. ‘Don’t Brother Me’ is effortlessly cool and embodies Liam’s persona in one song as overt swipes at Noel (lyrics: “always in the sun with your number one”), seven minutes of Magical Mystery Tour effervescence and Sitek psychedelia all intertwine to create a masterpiece. BE is unlikely to be the turning of a corner for Beady Eye. In truth, Liam Gallagher is such a character that it is unlikely those who loathe him will ever be won over. No, Liam must simply be content with his lot for now. For fans of Liam, BE holds just enough to keep you listening for a while yet and they undoubtedly have Dave Sitek to thank for that. There’s moments of creative spark, but they are too few and too frayed. “Come on, take my hand and start anew” is the final message on the record. For the first time in nineteen years, Liam Gallagher sounds as if he is fallible. If his next record fails, what will he do? And, more tragically, will anybody care?
